THR VSlowLife's Recovery Thread

[Elf1]

@VSlowLife you sound overall like you're settling in to recovery quite nicely. I know my doc had me taking iron pills over the counter stuff, for the first couple of weeks. Guess that was to help build up my blood as a safety precaution. He didn't mention anything about any numbers being down or having lost a lot of blood.

 

[VSlowLife]

@Laskyd Yes, but it was not considered to be excessive, and no. I asked before discharge if they had any lab work to do to make sure I was safe to go home. They said it’s not generally part of their protocol.

 

[VSlowLife]

Yes!

you sound overall like you're settling in to recovery quite nicely.

Overall, today has been my best day. I hope I have not spoken too soon. All is healing well. All the bruise colors are gone. Just neat healing areas now.

I can’t sit too long or groin pain happens, but it seems to be getting better. Each day is different. A small smorgasbord of assorted aches pains, to be expected with healing, today.

My nurse reminded me that morning pains are from stiffness from sleeping, and today my worst pain was the morning. Just used 1/4 of a pain pill today and Tylenol.

An iron supplement after surgery makes perfect sense to me. You have an OS who thinks about nutrition.

 

[BruceH]

@VSlowLife @BruceH Were your low hgb numbers from losing a lot of blood during surgery? Is that a blood test routinely done after surgery? I am not aware that this test was done on me

I don't know the usual protocol. I am the person who always asks what is being done and why (yes, I am a control freak in these kind of matters) and I always want to know the results. The nursing staff was pretty open when I asked questions.

I just looked up my hospital tests in mychart. Post surgery Hgb was 10.9 Hct 30.7. Both low. I recall the nurse saying that it's not just blood loss but also blood being dilluted with iv fluids that throws it off. They also did a comprehensive metabolic panel.

It could of been standard procedure, it could of been due to my seeing a Hematologist for the last 5 months or so. During imaging for hip issues red marrow reconversion was discovered which led to a bone marrow biopsy and a whole lot of unneeded worry and stress. Perhaps this led to increased scrutiny by the surgical team?

 

[Fit4Family]

So happy to see you are starting to feel better and have noticed less bruising too. Sounds like you are doing very well. Your preparation has set you up for a smooth recovery! @VSlowLife

 

[VSlowLife]

Unfortunately my OS does not do MyChart or anything over the Internet.

I just looked up my hospital tests in mychart.

I was checking MyChart to see if any images or the surgical report was ready, while I was in the hospital . No such luck to this day.

I recall the nurse saying that it's not just blood loss but also blood being dilluted with iv fluids that throws it off.

I wonder if they know how to convert a diluted Hgb number into a more accurate number? At ten days post surgery my IV fluids were long gone.

 

[VSlowLife]

Thank you. I agree!

Your preparation has set you up for a smooth recovery!

I have been on my own since day 5. I never could have done this without the support and shared knowledge within this community.

 

[BruceH]

I wonder if they know how to convert a diluted Hgb number into a more accurate number? At ten days post surgery my IV fluids were long gone.

I think that's why the nurse told me they don't get too concerned unless it's 8 or below. Granted, I was somewhat foggy due to pain meds and being woken up every hour or so for antibiotics, toradol, blood draw, oral meds, or whatever else was on the agenda.

I did do a few internet searches on the subject and found one study of THR and TKR patients. Hgb plunged up to a few days after surgery and slowly climbed back up over the next few weeks. It was just one study though. The PA suggested pre natal vitamins when I was discharged but my memory fails me on just exactly why.

 

[VSlowLife]

I think it worked out well enough. I do not think it will take long to bring mine up, to just the normal lower limit.

Granted, I was somewhat foggy due to pain meds and being woken up every hour or so for antibiotics, toradol, blood draw, oral meds, or whatever else was on the agenda.

I was expecting this type of routine while in the hospital, too, but to my surprise, they seemed to wait most of the time until I called for ice, pain meds, or bathroom assistance. I iced like crazy. I had three bags, each with two ice inserts and requested they be changed often.

I am impressed:

I did do a few internet searches on the subject and found one study of THR and TKR patients. Hgb plunged up to a few days after surgery and slowly climbed back up over the next few weeks. It was just one study though.

I just remember when I saw 11 Hgb, that in college, the only way to get close to getting all nutrients in a 1200 calorie diet, I had the butcher grind half beef heart with ground sirloin to make a healthier meat patty. It was a challenge one of my professors had us do to learn about low calories and health. Nah, not doing that again. It was on the dry side and not especially tasty.

The PA suggested pre natal vitamins when I was discharged but my memory fails me on just exactly why.

I know senior type multi vitamins, do not have as much iron as regular multivitamins for younger folks. Most likely prenatal vitamins have the most.

 

[VSlowLife]

Advice? Today went very well, pain wise, but tonight is a challenge. I have pain on the outside of my hip, down to the knee, and into the ankle, the worse of which feels like burning on the side of my calf. Just cut up some lidoderm patches to tape them lengthwise. Also I am using ice, and I took a whole 2 mg dilaudid, which has not made a difference. I have ice on the outside of my hip, ice on my outside calf, and ice on my groin.

It’s not as bad standing up, but I need to sleep. This type of pain started after surgery. I only had a slight leg length increase. Thinking it will take time to adjust.

 

[CricketHip]

I think the lateral leg discomfort is fairly common after a THR. I know I felt that with both of mine, if that's any consolation. It especially kicked up if I was on my feet too much that day or possibly one of many other things I did that day. I quickly learned that if I had a day where I felt rushed? That I would feel it shortly after.
Are you still working with elastic bands? That exercise this early makes me very nervous for you.
Hopefully your leg has eased up and you are happily sleeping by now. Like I should be!

 

[VSlowLife]

The elastic band exercise can only be done with PT because she uses her foot as the fulcrum and holds the band. It was fine on the left, but we could not do even one without a spontaneous, huge, painful cramping muscle on the surgical leg. It cramped straight from my hip to the back of my knee.

So that is off the list. I can use the band for upper body strengthening.

Yesterday was a pretty quiet day for me. I ended up taking 2 mg of tizanindine muscle relaxer, in addition to everything else, to sleep.

 

[Hip4life]

Just stopping by and catching up. Oh, my, you’ve had an “interesting” few days! DVT scare-not fun. Medical personnel will always err on side of caution and send you to ER (or in my case, straight over to the hospital imaging department from doctor’s office). I was pretty sure it wasn’t a DVT but it was a relief anyway. Leg cramping and soreness almost everywhere at such an early stage in your recovery? Not at all surprising and seems to be quite common here. I certainly experienced that as well. Frustrating at best when it interferes with sleep which can be so elusive anyway. I would ease back and concentrate more on just walking and the simple hospital PT maneuvers at this time with icing/elevation until things quiet down a bit. Your body is telling you what it’s ready for. Lastly: in my experience, the docs do those basic blood tests post op routinely to make sure your body is responding appropriately to surgery and to head off trouble if need be. My Hgb dropped (from 15 to 11) also but remained steady over the 2 days in hospital. My husband would joke I needed some iron therapy and on one of my first adventures out, he took me to a steak house. Lol. It did taste good (sorry my vegetarian friends.) If you go the iron supplement route, just remember it can be constipating. Probably a reason it’s reduced in senior formulas. Anyway, that’s my 2 cents worth (more like a 25 cents!) Lol. Otherwise it sounds like you’re doing well and progressing nicely even if it feels slowly. It will for a while and should be! Take care and keep us posted. Pat.

 

[VSlowLife]

I would ease back and concentrate more on just walking and the simple hospital PT maneuvers

Thank you for your incite, entertaining story, and experience!

I have only been doing the simple exercises, because to do more increases pain. I spoke with my nurse coordinator this morning and she suggests I go back to the walker, because my body is not ready for the cane. My post care instructions said I could start the cane on day 10, but most of the time my OS does a 3” incision, but mine looks to be about 8”.

I requested my surgical report be faxed to my GP. Hopefully soon I will know why I have the longer incision.

It is healing very well and I am happy with it.

For me, PT has been useful because they check the incision, and do my vitals.
PT also taught me to wear socks rather than any shoes, to correct the post surgery toeing in, and it is improving. Toeing in is a no-no, for my surgery, to guard against dislocation.

And PT taught me how to safely go down my stairs ( two banisters) and how to safely go up. I appreciated the reinforced lesson, now that I am on less pain medicine. Just doing the stairs was considered enough for the PT session, she said, rather than adding exercises.

I did eat some steak with pineapple juice for better iron absorption last night (Sorry planet). I will not need to do that too much.

 

[Elf1]

@VSlowLife not sure if you remember but I was using my walker for about the first month. And those post-op/discharge instructions they give you are pretty much one size fits all. And, even when you switch to the cane you might want to consider using the walker early in the morning when stuff from sleep and late at night when tired. No shame in taking it slow and listening to your body.

And if anyone had tried to use elastic bands on me at the stage you're at I would have hobbled away screaming! I almost did when the PT tried to introduce them into my gait training much further out in my recovery.

 

[Stripey]

@VSlowLife I am just getting caught up on your thread. Sounds like you've had an exciting week! I too would have gone to the ER with calf pain. In fact, the discharge nurse told me to do just that if I experienced such pain and I'm glad your phone nurse did the same. It must have been a scare, though. I was curious enough to check my Hgb online for the day after my surgery. It was 11.8. My pre-op value at the beginning of January was 14.4. No idea what it is now. Nobody at the hospital said anything about it being low post-op. I hope you are getting your pain under better control, these first couple of weeks are a challenging time for sure.

 

[VSlowLife]

Great advice! Thank you for reminding me. I appreciate it! Tomorrow may be the last time PT comes. I think they only visit for the first two weeks.

And, even when you switch to the cane you might want to consider using the walker early in the morning when stuff from sleep and late at night when tired. No shame in taking it slow and listening to your body.

I always use the walker at night. It is very effective in waking my big dog so he moves over on the floor, without me saying a word. I feel safer using it at night.

I did scream when on the first attempt one of the glutes quickly cramped up. Not ever again!

 

[VSlowLife]

It was a bit of scare. I managed it for about 8 hours with lots of ice, and then that was not enough. My local hospital is only ten minutes away, so I knew I would be seen quickly. We have good EMTs in our volunteer ambulance company. The ambulance is just down the block.

It must have been a scare,

I asked before discharge about any blood work that may have been done after surgery. They said unless there was significant blood loss, they do not do it. I only found out my numbers in the ER. I think the lower limit for normal may be 12, for women, so it will not be long before that is better.

I have to say, I felt very well prepared, and I feel like I am managing well thanks to all the advice from everyone on Bonesmart.

My Lounge Doctor is serving me well with the swelling, as well as my recliner.
I still have some swelling above my knee, but it is easy to move my leg. My incision is beginning to shrink as the swelling goes down there, too. I still can get into my ( generous) small PJs, after the surgery, but I bought mediums for the trip home, and the first few days. That made it much easier to dress with the initial swelling.

Hoping for a better night of sleep with using the walker today.

 

[Fit4Family]

Hope you got a good nights sleep @VSlowLife Happy you are seeing improvements with your incision and swelling. 8” doesn’t seem unusually long from what I have read here. Even my first surgery was at least 5”. It will amaze you how quickly it starts to heal.

Hope you have a good day. Elf is correct on using assistance differently during the day as you progress. I had a walker in our bathroom for at least a month. Late night trips to bathroom or just getting out of shower. Canes fall over all the time too, and reaching to pick them up is a big no no, until balance is good enough for golfers reach. Early days! Hugs.

 

[VSlowLife]

Thank you! My days tend to be better than my nights. Sleep is still not yet ideal. 1 1/2 hours at a time last week. 2 hours at a time this week and if I am real lucky, three hours. I usually need an afternoon nap, and then usually I get tired again about 6 or 7PM and nap again. I know it will get better with time. This is only week two. I figure it is good for my circulation to be up so frequently, at this point.

Yes, 8" does seem long, when ideally with this surgery it is 2 - 3" but I think he may have needed to band my femur to prevent fracture. Maybe the swelling made it larger, too? The OS has not released the surgical report to my GP yet, so I can find out. He went on vacation after my surgery.

Canes fall over all the time too, and reaching to pick them up is a big no no, until balance is good enough for golfers reach.

Since I had the northern approach I can bend forward, and I have been doing the golfer's reach quite a bit, because I was doing it before surgery. I always do it holding on to to something. I just can't toe in or cross the midline even with a dual mobility cup,( at least not yet). The non-slip sock, walking has definitely improved the post surgical toeing in..

I have a folding grabber I keep attached to my walker for anything I can't comfortable reach. That has been one of my most useful tools.

I have a slide in bench for the shower, which is what they want me to use. I still can't bend my knee properly to go over the tub. I am requesting PT assess that today. I put the soap in an onion skin bag and knotted both ends, then strung some elastic through, and attached it to the handicap bar in the shower, so soap can't fall to the floor while I am showering. That is working very well. I used a hanger, and bent it, to hang the hand shower to the left side, on the curtain rod, so no strong water hits my surgical area ( as instructed) and it has worked well, too. All black and blues are gone